By Mark Scott
Albany, NY – The State Senate's Democratic majority does not plan to attend Governor David Paterson's joint address to the Legislature Monday on closing the state's budget deficit.
A senior Democratic official close to Senate leaders is describing the Governor's address as "a photo opp" for Paterson. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak for the senators.
The Senate's Republican minority and the Assembly's Democratic majority and Republican minority plan to attend the rare midyear address.
Paterson says this year's budget deficit now tops $3 billion.